World War II Vet, 91, Honored In Crawford County

Surrounded by family and friends, 91-year-old Army veteran Jack White on Friday received seven medals for his service during World War II.

During a ceremony at the Crawford County Courthouse in Van Buren, retired Col. Steve Gray from Sen. John Boozman’s office made the presentation, describing the meaning of each medal and ultimately referring to White as a member of the greatest generation.

“These guys weren’t great because they survived the Great Depression, or because they fought the war,” Gray said. “They’re great because of what they did with their lives when they got home. … These guys never stopped serving.”

White, who served in the Army for 21 months, joined the 28th Infantry Division in August 1944, just after the Normandy invasion and the infantry’s move against the Germans in the Battle of the Bulge.

He trained for 13 weeks at Camp Robinson in Little Rock before going overseas to fight as a first scout and an expert rifleman in numerous battles throughout Germany.

In May 1945, White became a labor foreman at a German POW camp at Giessen, Germany, where he supervised work crews rebuilding the Giessen food depot. He remained there as an occupation force through January 1946, Gray said.

White said he left the Army as a staff sergeant and returned to his childhood livestock farm after the war, and bought the place from his dad.

“I came back and put a dairy in. … It’s still got a dairy today,” he said, adding that his daughter Linda works the dairy now in Rudy. “I was president of the co-op here in Van Buren for 30 years.”

Gray, who presented the medals mounted on a plaque, said the first medal White would have received and had placed on his uniform was the World War II Victory Medal, which honors the Four Freedoms.

The second medal, the European African Middle Eastern Medal, depicts a ship landing and acknowledges White’s service in two campaigns, the Battle of the Bulge as well as his service across Germany.

White also received a Good Conduct Medal; the Bronze Star, the fifth-highest medal possible; a World War II Honorable Service lapel pin; a Combat Infantry Badge; and an Expert Badge with Rifle Bar.

White said he shot a rifle and many other firearms during the war.

“We took a lot of towns,” he said.

Karen Steward of Alma, one of White’s three daughters, attended the ceremony, as did daughter Linda DeShazo of Rudy.